HONOLULU—Retired business executive Sharon Weiner has committed $25,000 cash and a significant portion of her estate to the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM), Shidler College of Business.
From Left to Right: Michael Coppes, director of estate and gift planning; UH Foundation; John Dean, chairman & CEO, Central Pacific Bank; Jay H. Shidler; Sharon Weiner; Susan Yamada, executive director, Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship; Vance Roley, dean, Shidler College of Business; and Unyong Nakata, senior director of development; UH Foundation-Shidler College of Business
Weiner’s $25,000 cash gift will support the five-year PACE initiative that was launched in February 2014. The goal of the initiative is to raise $3 million to create new programs and expand existing ones. Funds raised through the initiatives will also be used to renovate and expand the current location in the Shidler College of Business. The new center will enable PACE to create a vibrant co-working space for entrepreneurial activity at the University. Additionally the new center will double the number of entrepreneurial programs offered, introduce an entrepreneurial curriculum to other UHM colleges, train key faculty on current entrepreneurial instruction, support the commercialization of UHM technology and innovation, and establish UHM as a leader in entrepreneurial education. To date, $1.9 million has been raised with investments from various donors, notably Central Pacific Bank’s chairman and CEO John Dean, First Insurance Company of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, and American Savings Bank.
Weiner’s estate gift will support entrepreneurial education and help UHM monetize research efforts through her namesake fund the Sharon Weiner StartSmart Entrepreneurship Endowment, which she originally funded in 2010 with a gift of $150,000.
Stated Weiner, “Our next generation of leaders has to be imbued with entrepreneurial skills. Whether a person starts a business or joins a management team, thinking creatively, independently, and spontaneously as well mastering basic business skills are essential to his or her success. I am so proud to be able to support PACE in providing this vital course of study.”
Under the leadership of dean Vance Roley and executive director Susan Yamada, PACE has become a training ground for future entrepreneurs and global leaders. PACE has expanded to include more than 15 programs to cultivate and support entrepreneurs, encourage entrepreneurial thinking, spawn new businesses, and rekindle ties with Hawai‘i’s business community.
Weiner joins other business leaders such as Central Pacific Bank’s chairman and CEO John Dean and former CEO of First Insurance Company of Hawaii Allen Uyeda on the PACE Board of Directors.
"We are truly honored to receive Sharon's most recent donation to her StartSmart fund. Having a seasoned entrepreneur supporting our efforts provides validation that we're on the right track. We look forward to Sharon's guidance as we continue to provide entrepreneurial programs to the UH community," said Yamada.
Weiner came to Hawai‘i in 1973 and graduated from the Executive MBA program at the Shidler College of Business at UH Mānoa in 1975. She began her career in Hawai‘i at C. Brewer & Co. working as a public relations manager. In 1979 she ventured out on her own to form Stryker Weiner Associates, Inc., which became the one of the largest independent public relations agencies in the State of Hawai‘i. In 2000, Weiner sold her firm and joined the DFS Group as group vice president in charge of DFS’ international global communications and government relations in Hawai‘i. Weiner is currently retired.
Weiner has an extensive and distinguished record of public service. She has served on the boards of the Catholic Charities, Hawaii Visitors Bureau, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Boy Scouts – Aloha Council, Japan America Society of Hawaii, Hawaii Tourism Authority, and Aloha United Way. She was also a UH Regent from 1999 – 2002.
# # #
The Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship (PACE) is the home for an integrated set of leading-edge entrepreneurship programs at the University of Hawai‘i. Based in the Shidler College of Business, PACE is dedicated to fostering the entrepreneurial spirit among all members of the University and local community. For more information, visit pace.shidler.hawaii.edu or follow us on Twitter @PACEhawaii.
The Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Established in 1949 as the College of Business Administration, the College was named in 2006 after alumnus Jay H. Shidler, founder and managing partner of The Shidler Group. The Shidler College of Business is renowned for its expertise in international management education and is consistently ranked among the nation's top graduate schools for international business by U.S. News. Long recognized for its Asia-Pacific focus, the College is a professional school offering a wide variety of degree, certificate and executive programs. The UH Shidler College of Business is the only graduate program in the State of Hawai‘i accredited by AACSB International. For more information, visit shidler.hawaii.edu.
The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa serves approximately 20,000 students pursuing more than 225 different degrees. Coming from every Hawaiian island, every state in the nation, and more than 100 countries, UH Mānoa students thrive in an enriching environment for the global exchange of ideas. For more information, visit http://manoa.hawaii.edu. Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/uhmanoa and Twitter http://www.twitter.com/UHManoaNews.
The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.
